Bangkok Post
Plain of Jars mystery solved
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For nearly a century, thousands of massive stone urns scattered across north-central Laos have stood as one of archaeology’s most baffling enigmas. Local folklore said ancient giants had carved the hollowed-out megaliths to brew celebratory rice wine.
Key facts
- For nearly a century, thousands of massive stone urns scattered across north-central Laos have stood as one of archaeology’s most baffling enigmas
- But scientists have long suspected a far more solemn purpose: interment of the dead
- In winter 2022, on the windswept Xieng Khouang Plateau, in an area aptly named the Plain of Jars, the study’s authors became intrigued by a peculiar, squat structure, roughly 4 feet tall and 8 feet wide
- Rather than holding liquid, the vessel they named Jar 1 was essentially a multigenerational crypt packed with the jumbled, disarticulated remains of at least 37 people.
Summary
But scientists have long suspected a far more solemn purpose: interment of the dead. Now, a study published in the journal Antiquity offers compelling evidence to prove the scientists right.
In winter 2022, on the windswept Xieng Khouang Plateau, in an area aptly named the Plain of Jars, the study’s authors became intrigued by a peculiar, squat structure, roughly 4 feet tall and 8 feet wide. They paused to investigate the landmark, which they had walked past countless times.